HAL shore excursion to the pyramids from Alexandria

[Torquer]

We are considering booking a cruise for August 2024 from Athens with several stops in the Middle East, including Alexandria.  Seeing the pyramids, even for a couple hours, is a bucket-list item for us so we had hoped to see them on this cruise.  The HAL headline for this cruise says:
"Delve into ancient wonders on a roundtrip cruise from Athens. Cyprus treasures, the Egyptian Pyramids, and the marbled temples of Ephesus await."

 

But now we just realized in their list of sample shore excursions for Alexandria, they do not list one to Giza to see the pyramids.  Most other cruises that stop in Alexandria for both summer 2023 and 2024 do show these shore excursions.  I am now wondering that because we are only in Alexandria for 12 hours (7AM to 7PM) , that HAL figures that is not enough time given the long bus ride.  The cruises that do list a shore excursion to Giza are all in Alexandria for 14+ hours.  We almost never use HAL shore excursions, but given the very long distance, I think in this case we would not consider a private company from Alexandria.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this?  Do all cruises that stop in Alexandria really include shore excursions to Giza?  I'm sure calling HAL will not get a reliable answer since the cruise is 13 months away and they have likely not finalized these excursions.

[RuthC]

When I took this tour it was an excruciatingly long day. IIRC, we left at something like 6:00 AM and didn't return until after 7:00 PM. 
I will say we did more than just go to the pyramids, as we also had a river cruise on the Nile, with lunch and a belly dancer performed. But I don't recall anything much else we did. 

I really don't know that your ship will be in port long enough to make it down there and back in time. Even if you stop for take-out for lunch. 

[Cruising-along]

I took this tour in 2006, so I honestly don't remember how long the ship was in port.  It was a 12-hour day (8 am - 8 pm), because of traffic in Alexandria.  IMO if this is a bucket list item for you, do it!!  It was an amazing day that I'll never forget. DH and I went into a pyramid, a thrill of a lifetime.

I wouldn't consider a private tour either, not only because of the distance, but because you could get tangled up in traffic as we did and be late getting back.

[OlsSalt]

...Your camels are ready, ladies and gentlemen  ...... as we were guided out of the ceiling-fanned palm-bedecked and rattan-furnished lobby of the historic Mena House Hotel, to ride our camels to the pyramids ............ in 1969. In the middle of a Sahara sand storm.

 

Yes, you will have memories for a lifetime. Just do it.  However our cruise ship port stop back then in 1969 was an over-night stay in Cairo at the legendary Shephard's Hotel, across the Nile from the old Cairo Museum

[bcummin]

If HAL is not finished putting out excursions, hopefully they will offer one to the pyramids since that was in their original description of the cruise???

Barbara

[cruisemom42]

Many cruise ships going to Egypt stop in Alexandria one day and Port Said the next. This makes an overnight in Cairo possible. 

 

Absent that, and with a short day in Alexandria, I'm afraid that I would not be too hopeful about HAL offering an excursion to Cairo and Giza.

 

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, OlsSalt said:

...Your camels are ready, ladies and gentlemen  ...... as we were guided out of the ceiling-fanned palm-bedecked and rattan-furnished lobby of the historic Mena House Hotel, to ride our camels to the pyramids ............ in 1969. In the middle of a Sahara sand storm.

 

Yes, you will have memories for a lifetime. Just do it.  However our cruise ship port stop back then in 1969 was an over-night stay in Cairo at the legendary Shephard's Hotel, across the Nile from the old Cairo Museum

 

My parents stayed in Shepheard's hotel in the early 1970s, and I was lucky enough to stay there in 2008 on an Egyptian tour. (It is actually on the same side of the Nile as the museum, a bit further down the Nile Corniche). Apparently it opened in 1841 and hosted some of the festivities associated with the opening of the Suez Canal.

 

I loved the decor, even if dated. You can see some of the interiors and balcony shots in the excellent movie from a few years back, "Cairo TIme". (They also used the lobby of the Mena House and their extensive grounds for some scenes.)

 

It is currently closed but is under renovation, I'm happy to read, hopefully to reopen in 2024.

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

10 hours ago, Torquer said:

But now we just realized in their list of sample shore excursions for Alexandria,

That is the key...you aren't booked, so you can't see a full list of excursions, and you are over a year from the cruise. Too soon to see the full list of excursions.

[vicd1969]

I've been looking at this cruise as well, since it is the only one I can see for the major lines that stop at Egypt, Israel, and Turkey. Given that the new Egypt museum is located near the Pyramids instead of downtown Cairo, a private tour should be viable, if you just want to do the Pyramids plus the museum. But I agree that it may be too soon to see the full list of HAL excursions one year away.

[OlsSalt]

Cairo photos from the 1960's - where I got my first dose of "culture shock" for a pretty naive and untraveled American back then. Plus my first big case of "tourista", considered to also be a requisite part of adventure travel back then.

 

Everyone who took the excursions to Cairo from our Alexandria port stop came back to our little ship, the Chandra's Fantasia, similarly afflicted. It was certainly the topic of conversation for a few days on board, since most cabins had bunk beds and the legendary .....bathrooms down the hall. Everyone was reasonably careful as "don't drink the water" was already pretty standard warning back then too. Yet, these things still happened.

 

   https://www.mic.com/articles/93406/11-vintage-images-that-will-make-you-wish-you-lived-in-cairo-in-the-1960s

[Lido deck main]

we are going this fall as of today Giza Pyramid Inside with Nile River Waitlisted filled up quickly also Full day minivan $1199.00 is taken all others available  We are going on the Giza Pyramid Inside with Nile River.  Hope you can see the brochue.

 

Alexandria Excursion Brochure Fall 2023.pdf

[Lido deck main]

22 hours ago, Torquer said:

We are considering booking a cruise for August 2024 from Athens with several stops in the Middle East, including Alexandria.  Seeing the pyramids, even for a couple hours, is a bucket-list item for us so we had hoped to see them on this cruise.  The HAL headline for this cruise says:
"Delve into ancient wonders on a roundtrip cruise from Athens. Cyprus treasures, the Egyptian Pyramids, and the marbled temples of Ephesus await."

 

But now we just realized in their list of sample shore excursions for Alexandria, they do not list one to Giza to see the pyramids.  Most other cruises that stop in Alexandria for both summer 2023 and 2024 do show these shore excursions.  I am now wondering that because we are only in Alexandria for 12 hours (7AM to 7PM) , that HAL figures that is not enough time given the long bus ride.  The cruises that do list a shore excursion to Giza are all in Alexandria for 14+ hours.  We almost never use HAL shore excursions, but given the very long distance, I think in this case we would not consider a private company from Alexandria.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this?  Do all cruises that stop in Alexandria really include shore excursions to Giza?  I'm sure calling HAL will not get a reliable answer since the cruise is 13 months away and they have likely not finalized these excursions.

Forgot to mention we are there from 5:00am to 8:00pm but tour does not start until 7:30 am

Edited July 20, 2023 by Lido deck main
Adding tour time start

[OlsSalt]

Going inside a pyramid is not for anyone with even a smidgen of claustrophobia. 

[Cruising-along]

1 hour ago, OlsSalt said:

Going inside a pyramid is not for anyone with even a smidgen of claustrophobia. 

I was worried about DH, he's claustrophobic -- but he was fine. 

And the lights along the pathway going down went out so we were in pitch darkness for what seemed like minutes but was probably less than a minute.  It was quite the experience!  

[LouChamp]

9 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

Going inside a pyramid is not for anyone with even a smidgen of claustrophobia. 

Aloha. Visited on a land tour and yes the Pyramids are not for claustrophobic individuals.  I am on the August 2024 cruise and still unsure why they would have the ship dock in Alexandria without a pyramids tour.  I am sure they could configure the port call to include the time frame to do so. I am taking a wait and see as it is some time away. 

[cruisemom42]

14 hours ago, Lido deck main said:

Forgot to mention we are there from 5:00am to 8:00pm but tour does not start until 7:30 am

 

Nevertheless, you are scheduled for 3 hours in port more than the OP has. 

 

Clearance in Alex can take some time, which is probably why they have padded the excursion start time.

 

Edited to add:  I have done this 3x by cruise ship, and each time departure of morning tours was delayed somewhat.

 

 

Edited July 21, 2023 by cruisemom42

[roblc1]

I am booked on this cruise and have been checking all the shore excursions in Alexandria since they became available.  I think the 12 hours in port is the reason.  We are disappointed too, but looking at all the other positives on this itinerary. 

[dfilpus]

We are researching this itinerary for 2025. It seems that the May 2024 cruise has 14 hour port time and excursions to Cairo, but the cruises after that have 12 hour port times and no excursion to Cairo listed. We will continue to watch what HAL is providing for that port.

[Zukini]

It would be a shame to get all the way to Alexandria and not have the opportunity to make the trip to the pyramids, but the 12 hour port time is problematic. Even with a private tour, you're going to have a minimum of 3 hours to Giza and 3 hours back (with a quick restroom break each way). Your guide will undoubtedly insist on a visit to his cousin's perfume shop or rug emporium, leaving just a few hours to view the pyramid complex, which is massive and spread out. Certainly no time to visit the museum. 

 

If you attempt to do this on your own, you'll need to book with a reputable company and insist that there be no "shopping" stops. Get there, visit the pyramids and the sphinx, maybe pose on a camel, and get back.  Spending more than two hours at the site would be risky in terms of getting back to the ship with sufficient leeway to deal with unforseen traffic.

[cruiseaholic78]

On 7/20/2023 at 5:25 PM, OlsSalt said:

 

Everyone who took the excursions to Cairo from our Alexandria port stop came back to our little ship, the Chandra's Fantasia, similarly afflicted. It was certainly the topic of conversation for a few days on board, since most cabins had bunk beds and the legendary .....bathrooms down the hall. Everyone was reasonably careful as "don't drink the water" was already pretty standard warning back then too. Yet, these things still happened.

 

On 7/20/2023 at 5:25 PM, OlsSalt said:

 

Everyone who took the excursions to Cairo from our Alexandria port stop came back to our little ship, the Chandra's Fantasia, similarly afflicted. It was certainly the topic of conversation for a few days on board, since most cabins had bunk beds and the legendary .....bathrooms down the hall. Everyone was reasonably careful as "don't drink the water" was already pretty standard warning back then too. Yet, these things still happened.

 

   https://www.mic.com/articles/93406/11-vintage-images-that-will-make-you-wish-you-lived-in-cairo-in-the-1960s

 

Gosh its a small world we also visited Alexandria on the Fantasia, no idea which year though. It was also a time that we all traveled without water or used sunscreen!

 

Many years later we also visited the pyramids this time on a large convoy with armed guards front and back and a spare coach “in case of a breakdown”

It is one time I would definitely not advise a private tour.

 

[Ride-The-Waves]

Today traveling in Egypt is as safe as traveling in Europe or North America.  Because of the time/distance I would opt for a private tour by a reputable tour agency.  Actual drive time Alexandria-to-Giza is just over 2 hours going around Cairo.  Definitely worth it.  And, yes, if claustrophobic I would advice against the inside climb of the Great Pyramid.  For those who can that is another unforgettable trek.  And suggest staying away from the camels...

Edited August 26, 2023 by Ride-The-Waves

[CruiserBruce]

15 hours ago, dfilpus said:

We are researching this itinerary for 2025. It seems that the May 2024 cruise has 14 hour port time and excursions to Cairo, but the cruises after that have 12 hour port times and no excursion to Cairo listed. We will continue to watch what HAL is providing for that port.

Where are you seeing excursions for summer 2025 listed? 

[dfilpus]

49 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Where are you seeing excursions for summer 2025 listed? 

We're not seeing any excursions for 2025 listed yet, just the reduced (12 hour) port times.

[OlsSalt]

9 hours ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

Gosh its a small world we also visited Alexandria on the Fantasia, no idea which year though. It was also a time that we all traveled without water or used sunscreen!

 

Many years later we also visited the pyramids this time on a large convoy with armed guards front and back and a spare coach “in case of a breakdown”

It is one time I would definitely not advise a private tour.

 

 

I still have my bottle with CocaCola written in Arabic. Our trip was in the late 1960s, after the israeli War and everything was still bunkered, blacked out and sandbagged including the old Cairo Museum  with tape across each glass display case.

 

Later trips into Luxor from the Suez Canal port cities also required armed convoys due to domestic terrorism at that time. That said, I  still think Egypt is definitely worth the effort and necessary hardships. But safety first. 

[jsn55]

I would think the ship's excursions Alexandria-Cairo are on the back burner.  The short port time combined with the traffic in Egypt might have caused problems in the past.  Years ago, we took a train Cairo-Alex and a bus back - it was at least 15-hour day.  I've been trying to get back to Alexandria ever since ... we have an overnight there on NCL Sky in November.  Keeping my fingers crossed that the itinerary doesn't change.